Noncrumpling fabric and process of making the same



Eatented Aug. 33, 1937 stares NoNcarJma FABREO AND PROCESS @F THE SAME Delaware No Drawing. Application sum 15,1935, Serial No. 26,779. lin France April 9, 1935 4 Claims:

The present invention is directed to a process of manufacturing-non-crumpling fabrics of enhanced wearing qualities, and it particularly relates to an improved process of dressing and fin- 5 ishing velvets, cottons, linens, silks, artificial silks and other fabrics and yarns containing animal, vegetable and/or synthetic fibers or combinations thereof so as to give them enhanced anti-crush ing or anti-creasing properties.

O The treatment of fabrics with synthetic resinous materials and similar materials involves considerable difllculty, particularly when it is desired or necessary to cause said materials to gowithin the structure of the individual fibers making up 15 the yarn of the fabric and where it is also neces- 25 In addition, synthetic resinous materials such as compounds of phenol and formaldehyde and urea and formaldehyde are not most compatible with various types of textile materials, such as rayon, silk and so forth, and this tendency toward 30 non-compatability is increased upon drastic heat treatments which are often necessary upon impregnation with the synthetic resin.

In addition, upon impregnation with synthetic resinous materials composed of phenol and form- ,aldehyde or urea and formaldehyde compounds, it is frequently desirable to subject the material to a preliminary processing with strong acids or alkalies, as for example by mercerizing the materials and after the impregnation, it is not only necessary to heat the material to a relatively high temperature as above mentioned, but to subject the same to severe washing to remove all traces of the resinous material.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide an improved process of rendering fabrics of the character mentioned above substantially resistant to crumpling, creasing and/or crushing, which will not necessitate treatment with synthetic resinous materials, which will not -require a preliminary mercerization operation and which will further eliminate the necessity of mangling or mechanically working the fabric during the impregnating.

Another object is to provide an improved fab- ;ric of the character described with enhanced (Gt. iii-=68) anti-crush or anti-crease properties, which fabric will not be saturated with a non-compatible plastic material such as synthetic resinous phenolformaldehyde or urea-formaldehyde compounds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved process of renderingfabrics of the character described substantially resistant to crumpling, creasing or crushing, which may be readily employed without substantial deterioration of the fabric, and which will not require a subsequent drastic heat treatment.

'Other objects will be obvious and appear during the course of the following specification.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention it has been found possible to treat, coat or impregnate the fabrics to be rendered relatively resistant to crumpling, crushing or creasing with mixtures of ammonium salts, preferably of weak inorganic acids and relatively weak organic acids.

Among the ammonium salts which may be utilized are ammonium salts of carboxylated benzene or naphthalene compounds, which will preferably also be hydroxylated, the preferred compound of this character being ammonium salicylate, and the ammonium salts of boric acid.

Although ammonium borates are preferred, it is also possible to use other soluble borates, as those of the alkali metals, such as sodium or potassium, and of the alkali earth metals, such as calcium or magnesium.

The solutions may be readily prepared by dis- I solving boric and salicylic acids in aqua ammonia and they may be utilized as such as a dressing or finishing material for fabrics. If desired, however, the solution may be evaporated to dryness and the dry product redissolved when desired.

The solid complex formed in this manner will not crystallize, but when heated above 90 0., and

for example say at 150 0., it will change from elastic condition to a hardened brittle condition while remaining colorless and perfectly transparent.

In treatingfabrics of the various characters above described with this finishing compound the finishing compound may be dissolved in any .de-

sired concentration, say from 5 to 25% more or I less, in a water bath, through which the fabric may be readily passed. A fabric after passing through this bath may be dried and then after drying may be heated for a short time, preferably for a few minutes between to C.

It is preferred to make up the treating, impregnating or finishing solution by dissolving salicylic and boric acids directly in aqua ammonia to form the ammonium salts.

For example to prepare 5 liters of a treating solution according to a similar procedure to this,

5 to 2550 c. c. of water are added 800 c. c. of a 22 B. aqua ammonia containing 17% by weight of NH3.

This solution is then poured with stirring onto a mixture of 550 grams of salicylic acid (crystallized) and 250 grams of boric acid.

A paste will form at first which will then dissolve to form a clear brown solution.

To this clear solution may then be added grams of sodium bisulfite (crystals) and 825 c. c.

16 of a hexamethylene tetramine solutionfprepared by dissolving 367 grams of trioxymethylene in 458 c. c.-of 22 B. aqua ammonia.

The fabric after immersion and treatment in this final solution may be dried and then heated 20 for a few minutes to 150 to 160 C. to fix the finish obtained.

The water used in making up the above bath may contain calcium and magnesium salts, but they should preferably be free of iron salts. If

2 any iron is present, its action will be counteracted by the sodium bisulfite.

The preferred proportions of ammonia, boric and salicylic acid may be obtained by utilizing these materials in the proportion of 1 c. c. of 22 B. aqua ammonia to 1 gram of the mixture of the acids in the above proportions.

As another manner of preparation a solution may be prepared of 6 grams of salicylic acid, 5 grams of boric acid and gram of sodium bisulfite in c. c. of water and 10 c. c. of 22 B.

aqua ammonia.

Then there is separately prepared'a solution of 0.2 gram of pine resin and 0.5 gram of stearic acid in 10 c; c. of denatured alcohol at 90 C.

40 This solution is poured into the first solution and the resultant colloidal composition is preferably used for impregnation of fabrics or yarns at 35 C.

These proportions, of course,'may be considerably varied and to the treating bath there may be also added unsulphonated or sulphonated oils, fats and/orv waxes, insoluble or soluble soaps, casein, gelatin, gums, latex, solubllized cellulose compounds and so forth.

Alcohol or acetone may also be added to the bath to increase the rate of drying and if desired paraform and/or formaldehyde may be used instead of hexamethylenamine. On the other hand,

gaseous formaldehyde or be subjected to a sec- 0nd bath containing formaldehyde.

The fabrics treated according to the present invention are of enhanced crush-resistance, crease-resistance and crumpling-resistance and they have improved drape and feel. Moreover, the process may be readily employed without subjecting the fabrics to any drastic washing, mechanical working or heat treatments.

The present application is continued in part in the co-pen'ding application, Serial No. 35,485, filed August 9, 1985, which latter application specifically is directed to the treating solution while the present application is directed to the fabrics treated with such solution.

What is claimed is:

1. A process of finishing textile fabrics containing artificial silk and cellulosic fibers, to

make them crush-resistant, which comprises immersing said fabrics in an aqueous bath containing between about 5% to 25% of the soluble salts of boric acid and salicylic acid and then drying, said salts being selected from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts and the ratio of boric acid to salicylic acid being between about 6 parts by weight to 5 parts and about parts-to 25 parts.

2. The process of claim 1 in which the fabric is treated after the immersing and before the drying with formaldehyde.

3. The process of claim 1 in which the fabric after immersing and drying is heated to a temperature between to centigrade to fix the finish.

4. A crush-resistant fabric containing artificial silk or cellulosic fibers, said fabric being coated with a complex of the soluble salts of boric acid."

and. salicylic acid, said salts being selected from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts, a sufficient coating being used to make the fabric crush-resistant, and said fabric having been coated by immersing it in an to 5 parts by weight and about '55 parts by weight to 25 parts.

ALFRED PIERRE HONORE 

